Association of Space Explorers @ASE_Astronauts 5:15 AM · Jan 23, 2025
#ASEspotlight: Thomas Jones 💫
ASE Life Member @AstroTomJones soared like Superman through the Destiny laboratory aboard the @Space_Station in February 2001.
Fun fact: His latest book, "Space Shuttle Stories," covers all 135 space shuttle missions!
Happy 70th birthday, Tom! 🎉
https://twitter.com/ASE_Astronauts/status/1882280902484504921‘Man of Destiny’: Astronaut Tom Jones Turns 60 Todayby Ben Evans 11 years ago
Tom Jones waves during his first career EVAs on STS-98, the mission which installed the U.S. Destiny laboratory onto the International Space Station (ISS) in February 2001. Photo Credit: NASAAstronaut Tom Jones—a man who did, then didn’t, and then did again, embark on the hundredth spacewalk in U.S. history—turns 60 today (Thursday, 22 January). During his 12-year career as an astronaut, Jones flew four times aboard the shuttle, observing the Home Planet from high and low inclinations and participating in missions which showcased the capabilities of the reusable orbiters for research, satellite operations, spacewalking, and space station assembly. Yet his time within the astronaut office also saw Jones fall foul of the shuttle program’s last on-the-pad main engine abort, a scant 1.9 seconds ahead of liftoff, and a jammed hatch on STS-80 scuppered his first attempt to perform an EVA. Shortly before he finally ventured outside his craft in a pressurized suit, in February 2001, Jones’ wife, Liz, jokingly dubbed him: “NASA’s secret weapon … the best-trained spacewalker who’s never done a spacewalk!” (...)
https://www.americaspace.com/2015/01/22/astronaut-tom-jones-man-of-destiny-turns-60-today/